Hello:

The Minnesota Legislature adjourned for the year on May 21, completing its work on time. It was the first time since 1999 that the Legislature finished its work on schedule in a budget year, a sharp contrast from previous years of gridlock, government shutdown, and special sessions.

A renewed focus on the basic issues facing Minnesotans marked this session. Minnesota residents can be pleased with the reasonable and fiscally responsible approach the Legislature took in addressing Minnesota’s priorities of education, health care, renewable energy, and more.

Early childhood and K-12 education, struggling under significant needs and mandates, saw the first substantial steps to reversing the cuts and flat-lined funding of the past eight years. Recognizing that investing in our youngest learners pays huge dividends, the Legislature restored funding to Early Childhood and Family Education, School Readiness, and Head Start. This session also marks the state’s first real commitment to voluntary all-day kindergarten. This year’s emphasis upon redressing the under-funding of special education reflected the Legislature’s goal to start paying more of the state’s obligation and to cover for the federal government’s failure to pay its promised share. Together with increased funding will come legislative examination of education funding and of ways to revamp special education.

Years of double-digit tuition increases at Minnesota’s public universities and colleges come to an end.

Affordable and accessible health care for more Minnesotans was a major goal of this Legislature. This year, significant health care reform initiatives will help control costs for the 93 percent of Minnesotans who currently have insurance. Minnesota takes a serious step toward “Covering All Kids” by providing health coverage for 37,000 children. MinnesotaCare policy changes mean that farmers and their families who had been denied access will now be eligible again.

Supporting Minnesota’s active service members and veterans was a major focus of the Agricultural Policy and Veteran’s Affairs committee that I served on. Minnesota National Guard and combat pay received favorable tax status. We helped those who have made enormous sacrifices to serve our country by passing Minnesota’s GI bill to provide college tuition assistance and by doubling the number of campus advisors for veteran-students. The Heroes Earned Retirement Opportunities Act allows members of the military to make tax-exempt retirement contributions through their combat pay. County veteran service officers received additional funding, as did the veteran’s crisis hotline, outreach services, and the Department of Veteran’s Affairs. The “Beyond the Yellow Ribbon” reintegration program is another valuable veteran’s program that the Legislature supported.

Minnesota showed leadership by passing a historic renewable energy standard and by setting goals for limiting greenhouse gas emissions and meeting energy efficiency/conservation standards and for clean water. Public safety is enhanced through hiring more police officers and other measures.

Even with the historic successes of this year’s session, additional issues remain to be addressed in the future. In particular, one of my highest priorities is the enactment of significant, permanent property tax relief. Property taxes have skyrocketed out of control with statewide increases exceeding $2 billion over the past four years. The Legislature’s proposed tax fairness plan would have reduced property taxes, but the Governor vetoed the legislation. I hope that we might be able to work together to reverse ever-increasing property taxes, for they especially threaten retirees and others on fixed incomes who may find it difficult financially to remain in their homes. We need to talk seriously about closing tax loopholes that benefit foreign operating corporations.

On the Transportation Finance committee, I learned from MnDOT that Minnesota needs an additional $1.5 billion invested in our transportation system every year simply to stay even. Voters’ approval to dedicate the motor vehicle sales tax to roads in November covered about one-fifth of this cost. Construction costs are rising very rapidly, especially because of inflation in asphalt expenses related to oil costs. County and city officials unanimously reported that local property taxes are going up to pay for road and bridge construction that the state cannot afford. The Legislature offered a plan to start paying for safer and stronger roads, but the Governor vetoed the legislation. As a Transportation Committee member, I deeply hope that the Governor’s representatives will sit down with us and create a pay-as-we-go solution that all can support.

As we look to the future, it is my hope that in upcoming sessions we can build upon the positive measures enacted this year, and strive to improve those measures in need of reform. I am committed to working on a bi-partisan basis for the good of our community—in fact, virtually every one of my statewide bills had authorship and support from both sides of the aisle.

Thank you for the honor to serve you in St. Paul—it is a blessing to serve such a tremendous district. As always, please don’t hesitate to share your views on issues that are of concern to you.

Sincerely,

Terry